1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals generally with the field of egg handling equipment and is particularly adaptable for usage with conveyor systems used for candling and washing of eggs.
Many devices have been designed for the conveying of eggs through egg handling systems to facilitate grading, candling, orienting, arranging, washing, weighing, etc. Spring carrying members have been utilized to provide a conveyor surface construction which may be varied in length at various stations throughout the line of conveying to vary the effective width of the conveyor. The conveyor spring assembly disclosed and claimed in this application provides a system which is particularly useful in operations where candling and washing are positioned as adjacent stations, however the conveyor of the present design can be utilized with any standard egg handling system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Systems used in the prior art have been shown using spring conveyor surfaces for carrying eggs such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,241,433 and 3,232,413 which disclose egg candling systems. Also U.S. Pat. No. 3,148,761 discloses a general egg supporting and handling system which utilizes spring support means for maintaining the eggs within a plurality of predefined rows of egg receiving recesses. Another such design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,155,102.
An improved design was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,216,549 which includes a plurality of intermediate portions within a convexly coiled spring egg supporting means which intermediate portions serve by the additional usage of a collar or sleeve to block out stray light radiating upwardly through the candling slots. Such stray light tends to hinder the candling operation by contacting the eyes of the candling operator directly or after reflection from the various metal and other components of the surrounding environment. This egg supporting means configuration is shown as prior art in FIG. 3 of the present invention.
Often it is desired to place a candling station adjacent or near the washing station within the egg handling and conveying line. With such configurations the eggs may be transferred between a candling conveyor shown as prior art in FIG. 3 and a washing conveyor shown as prior art in FIG. 4. This transfer is wasteful of the equipment and space within the egg handling line which is utilized by the transfer equipment. The elimination of a transfer step between an egg washing conveyor and an egg candling conveyor most importantly minimizes breakage. Also in most egg processing systems the conveyor used in candling is not continuously washed as is the conveyor used for washing, obviously. By using a single spring conveyor, such washing is effected. As such, it is desirable to provide a single spring conveyor which is adapted for usage with the operation of candling as well as the operation of washing.
The coiled spring conveyor supporting means shown in FIG. 3 is useful for candling since the collars will block out stray light and facilitate direct viewing of the light passing through the eggs themselves. However, this spring supporting means is not preferable within a washing station since the accumulation of dirt, feathers and other contaminants within and around the wide flat collar or sleeve assemblies will tend to reduce the overall effectiveness of the washing operation within a very short period of time of usage. Also the washing solutions will not easily drain from the flat annular metal sleeves and rinsing for complete cleansing of the eggs and conveyor will be made quite difficult without an expensive periodic cleaning or maintenance. The coiled spring conveyor shown in FIG. 4 is particularly adaptable for use within a washer since the entire supporting means is configured from a single coiled wire and therefore drainage is facilitated. However, the washing spring of FIG. 4 is not usable with a candling operation since the spaced relation of the coils positioned in linear orientation with respect to the line of egg receiving recesses will allow the passage upward therethrough through the light emitting slots positioned below the conveyor and as such stray light and reflected light will inhibit the performance of personnel conducting the candling operation. As such, it is desirable to provide a single conveyor spring which is usable for both blocking out of stray light during candling and which at the same time facilitates drainage from the area of a washing operation. With this end purpose in mind the coiled spring conveyor assembly of the present invention was designed.